AN OLD'MAN'S MONEY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 138, 6 March 1919, Page 7

AN OLD'MAN'S MONEY

NURSE'S UNCANNY ORDEAL.

It was a few clays before Christmas, , and tlio night was cold and dark, when 'I was called to attend an old patient ot mine'(says a writer in the "Nursing Miwor"). Three times before I had. nursed in that household, and when (lie niece, whom the childless old man had ! adopted as. his daughter, found 1 mcl i come she threw her arms around me nncl 1 wepfc for joy. The poor woman had been up with her uncle three nights 111 succession, and -was quite worn out. .bho gave me the instructions which the doctor had left for me, and helped me to put clean sheets under the patient. lie was a big man, of 85. After making him quite comfortable, he fell csUep, and 1 was able to turn my thoughts to the niece. I prescribed for her a. hot bath and a basin of "bread and milk in bed. While she took the bath I made the bread and milk, brought it to her, and then tucked her up for the night. I then "returned to my iriaic patient. He was still asleep, but wolto up after about .two hours' rest. I gave him hot milk, with a small quantity of brandy, bu.t instead of falling off to sleep again he asked mo for his money. He was very deaf, so I, to pacify him, gave him a shilling, a florin, and half-a-crown from my own purse. 1 would not ask his niece wheire his money .was ' kept, as I hoped she was asleep, and I myself did not know where to find it. Tha three corns satisfied him for a,time; then he asked for his Treasury notes. I had r.one in the room, so I cut some paper into strips and gave them to him, hoping he would not know the difference. Happily this satisfied him for a time, only he wanted to put them into his breast-pocket so, to please him, I pinned the paper with a safety-pin to the. left side o.f his nightshirt. This quite satisfied.him. The second nis?ht was far more eventful than the first. The patient lay on a huge mahogany bedstead, with a canopy draped with very old and faded led repp, and whilst I was bending over him I suddenly felt a terrific blow on my , head, and for some time I knew no more. I must have been senseless for nearly an hour. I found that 1 had fallen on my face almost into the middle of the sft. bed. The terrific pain in my head was almost unbearable The patient was either unconscious or asleep, just at first I could not be sure which, for I wa9 unable to think for the agony of pain. When I could remember wheire I was, and what had happened, I really thought for a moment I was mad, for all around me on the bed and. the floor lay heaps of noltl and silver coins, also several cigarboxes and a lot of thick dust. I looked up above'my head and saw the rotten repp had given way, and. realised that the cigar-boxes, carefully hidden on Ihe top jf-the canopy, must have'burst open in tin; fall,'and disgorged their contents. Flappily they did not strike the patient; ho lay high up in the bed. My liead, jeing nearer the middle,.got the blow. It suddenly dawned on me that this yas the money the jjoor old man had .vanted the previous night. I went up :o the niece's room, and asked Iter to :ome down. After getting into her dress-ng-gown and slippers she helped me plcK he money up. There was .£3OO there, ill in gold and silver. The wonder to me s how the rotten repp stood the strain so ong, for by the amount of dust there vas the boxc9 must have lain hidden for . long time. The niecp was surprised lint there was so much money, although he ;aid she thought that the old man lad "some hidden somewhere. We never :new how long it had been in its strange eating-place. The patient never asked or his money again, for he died during lie night. I left next day, as I was panted elsewhere, but before I went I lersuaded the niece, a-i niie was left egatee, tcj put the money into war bonds, ml so do her part towards bringing our ear ones home again.